Since November 15, thousands of people including women have protested on the doorstep of the Chinese-operated port in Gwadar with the demand “Give Rights to Gwadar”. The protesters have said that if their demands are not met, they will close down operations at the port and other projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Gwadar.
The CPEC is the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and the port in Gwadar takes centre stage in the CPEC. Humiliation felt by locals, deep-sea fishing by trawlers and lack of basic amenities are the primary reasons driving the protests. Local Balochis accuse China of being a colonial exploiter, and Chinese interests in Gwadar have been attacked by Baloch fighters.
In the name of securing the port and Chinese interests, residents of Gwadar have been subjected to humiliation on a daily basis through the many security checkpoints. Deep-sea fishing by trawlers has also affected people in Gwadar, where 65 per cent of the population depends on fishing for their livelihood. Local fishermen claim more than 2,000 deep-sea trawlers, some owned by Chinese, are destroying fish stocks in the area.
For nearly a year, local fishermen have been protesting against the Pakistan government granting licences for Chinese trawlers to fish near Gwadar. Chinese trawlers that were detained for fishing illegally near Gwadar, were let off, further aggravating the plight and anger of the residents.
Six years after the inception of the CPEC, Gwadar still faces a shortage of drinking water and electricity supply failures throughout the year. Local residents say they will oppose any development in Gwadar, whether Chinese or not, as long as they are left out of its benefits.
Their grievances have culminated in the current protests, with residents threatening to close down the port unless the issues are resolved immediately.
Aayush Pal 
Balaji Subramanian 
Palak Dogra